Bon Homme Richard (CVA 31) - Naval Cruise Book

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Nowhere did John Paul Jones ' s remarkable qualities as a leader show up more clearly than in making a fighting crew out of these men within less than a year. Without the advantages of a common background or a common interest in the war, they were inspired by Jones, with the ideals of the Revolution in which he believed so strongly himself, to the point where they were willing to sail against any British convoy. After many months of preparation and one false start the American squadron comprised of the BONHOMME RICHARD, ALLIANCE, PALLAS, CERF, VENGEANCE and the French men-of-war MONSIEUR and GRAN- VILLE set sail from L ' Orient in search of enemy convoys. As the cruise progressed friction arose among the French captains and Jones; a conference was called by Jones and a document signed that combined the vessels by common consent, thus establishing the force as a group of independent privateers, with no single officer in charge. The French had supplied the vessels and the armaments, so Jones could not disagree. On tiie morning of 23 September, 1779. near Spurn Head, England, a brigantine was sighted and BON HOMME RICHARD gave chase. But when the British merchant ship was within the 9-pounder range, the lookout in the rigging suddenly called out, sail ho . A whole forest of masts and sails was in Bridlington Bay. It was the Baltic merchant fleet which Captain Jones had been eagerly searching for. He ordered VENGEANCE to stand to the south and east and notify ALLIANCE that the next rendezvous would be Flamborough Head. He then laid a course to the north-northeast and signalled PALL.- S to keep to the starboard and not to lose sight of BONHOMME RICHARD. Since the slight wind was from the southwest they stayed too far to leeward so that Flamborough Head was on the port head instead of on the starboard. The last tack was inshore and at 1:00 P.M. they were hauling to the starboard when the whole Baltic Fleet upped anchor and came out of Bridlington Bay. They steered north-northeast for

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fintt i ammp fitrtfard BON HOMME RICHARD have proudest names in naval history. We of tin- seeo iiiiuTiled one ol tl Mud) more than tiiat, we have inherited tlie memory o Sreat f ' ighliuiJ tradition, for the famous hallle hetvvee si BON HOMMK RICHARD, under Captain Joh the li iid the British Man-oi-War SERAPIS, mor 11 sea battle in history, proved the i ' aniiha ,i ai engai ements are won by men, and tki ■ ■u ve.us ,,llrr the C mliiu ni.il Congress authorized the liisl iwc, ships .d Ih • N.iv mil country was faced Willi a (hkiniua. Ih • unlv W.l vr I oiiid possibly gain our independence was (1 sill . Ihe Bntisii command ol the high seas. With I lis 111 mm 1 tile inhmt Navv was flesjK-rale lor any type , )! er: It that could engage the Sliiphuilding in litis c ountry not lia ing turned oi men-of-war by 1776, John Paul Jones had not been able to get ships fast enough to take on the British in an open encoimter. His famous reply to the French, wiien lliey continued lo offer iiim ships liial wen- lno slow and iiea ' y was, Gi ' e me a fast siiip, lor 1 iiiieiui lo gel in Harm ' s way. At that lime, Benjamin Franklin was our ambassador to France, and had just written a book of maxims and proverbs ciilled Poor Richard ' s Almanac. Leafing ihrough it one day. Captain Jones found the answer lo his problem. He came across the prt)verb, If iui waiii lo have some business done iailiilulK and ish d do A( -ers,,iiles , Bi ilish. ■ Hi asked hu a Heel Willi which lo harass ihe lie uas liidi.ininaii given, as a f called Ihe Di hard , afler F agship. A w.inicul ineMllanl las , shi, h he i.naiiied Bon- ankhn ' s l.,u.k. llegoi logether ,, h,ipli., ,,i h. lilies she he, ..iMci 1 crew ol all n fought with th verc nothing e itionalilies, and it was said the e enemy ni the early months of )mpared with the battles in her

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Scarborough Fort with the two convoy escorts covering their rear and flank. Immediately hauling his ship to the wind Jones maneuvered to get between the land and the larger ship, but only succeeded by sundown because of the light wind and the poor sailing features of BONHOMME RICHARD. Flamborough Head was now- due east and about seven miles distant. By 7:00 P.M. there was a full moon and BONHOMME RICHARD approached one of the British adversaries wh j was on an opposite tack. He discerned her to be a small two-decker. She was the H.M. Frigate SERAPIS, commanded by Captain Richard Pearson, and carried a crew of 317 men. Slie mtumtcd twenty long 18-pounder guns on her lower deck, twenty-two long 9-pounders on her upper deck, and had eight 9- pounders on her quarter deck for a total of 50 guns. Fifteen minutes later the two warships were heading northwest on the same tack with the wind blowing lightly from the southwest. There was a smooth sea and a clear sky with a full moon. The conditions were excellent fur battle. The captain of SERAPIS hailed BONHOMME RICHARD twice, asking her identity, and, as his second call died away, both ships fired a broadside at a range of 800 yards.